The European Union’s relationships with the countries of
the Maghreb and of the Mashreq utilize various instruments: a
framework of regional cooperation, the Euro-Med Partnership reinforced
by the European Neighborhood Policy, and bilateral agreements
with the countries of the Southern shore of the Mediterranean.
At last November’s Barcelona Summit, the 35 Euro-Med partners
adopted an “Anti-terrorism Code of Conduct” and agreed
on a “Five-year Action Plan”, which defines concrete
objectives in the strategic sectors of political and security
partnerships, reforms and socio-economic development, migrations,
social integration, justice and security of citizens. The challenge
for 2006 is very ambitious: to pass rapidly to the application
of the “Program”, utilizing Community financial resources
in the best possible way (the MEDA instrument and, in the future,
ENPI) and exploiting the external capacity of the Neighborhood
Policy, in order to accelerate the complicated process of domestic
reforms, and to overcome uncertainties in the relations with Arab
countries and with Israel, which continue to weigh on the ability
to cooperate in the region. The prominent political role that
the European Union has assumed recently in the Middle East Peace
Process, with assistance missions to the Palestinian Authority,
is a promising development in this perspective.
Italy is committed to making the most of the positive achievements
that have already been accomplished. These include the as yet
incomplete network of Association Agreements and Action Plans;
the dialogue between civil societies, which needs to be examined
together with the cultural and social dimension; and the management
of migrations, which needs to be developed in an integrated way.
For 2006, the Italian Euro-Med initiatives will concentrate on
education and research, civil protection, and conservation of
historical and artistic wealth.
